


Icy but I’m on fire

by Alexa_Plays



Category: ENHYPEN (Band), I-LAND (Korea TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Family Rivalry, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Heeseung is whipped and shy, I'm Bad At Tagging, Ice Skating, M/M, Our Enhypen boys will appear soon!, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Sunghoon is pretty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26707309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexa_Plays/pseuds/Alexa_Plays
Summary: Lee Heeseung is the son of Fire God.Park Sunghoon is the son of Ice Goddess.They aren’t friends because their family and powers just don’t mix together.But why does Heeseung keep coming to the Royal Ice Ring night after night?
Relationships: Kim Sunoo/Nishimura Riki | Ni-ki, Lee Heeseung/Park Sunghoon
Comments: 66
Kudos: 130





	1. Just like thin ice

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> English is not my first language but I tried my best.  
> Give a lot of love to Enhypen while we wait for their debut.  
> You all know where I got the inspiration to write this.

Lee Heeseung is the son of Fire God. He is a prodigy known by his refined abilities in bending fire and regulating body and room heat.

Most of people are afraid to approached him since the rumors about him burning down the skin of his colleagues when he was at school just by glancing at their direction were spread.

Rumors are just rumors, but people still talk.

Back in the school, Heeseung didn’t know how to control his powers and yes, he did burn people once, however it was an accident. The kids were asking him to prove his talents in making flames. At first, Heeseung didn’t want to do it because he was aware that he couldn’t manage his powers properly, but children tend to be so persuasive that he decided to show them a simple trick he had been working on.

One trick became two, three, four and the situation got out of his control – Heeseung couldn’t avoid the little accident to happen.

Surprising, his father, the Fire God, didn’t become angry when the news reached his ears. It was a pretty good excuse he could use to keep his son far away from the other Gods’ children – even if his decision of locking his son in the house made his wife a little upset. His son should be able to learn and practice inside the palace with the best teachers and trainers.

At the end, Heeseung just had to apologize and tell he was sorry about what happened – which was true, he wouldn’t hurt a bee without crying in process.

So, Lee Heeseung, the son of Fire God, feared by many and avoided by all Gods’ and Goddess’ son and daughter in royal events throw inside the palace of his parents, is the same Lee Heeseung who sneaks out of his room at the midnight, disobeying his father’s rules.

Nobody suspects he slips away of the royal palace at late hours without getting caught. If Heeseung could, he would tell his father that the house security sucks and any skilled person could get in the palace without major problems – the thing is that: who would be crazy enough to dare to break into the temple of the Fire God himself?

The first time Heeseung sneaked out of his room was because of a new hard bend he had been trying to practice; however, he didn’t manage to success even after trying thousand times. Heeseung just thought it was a joke for the Fire God’s son to not ace some firebending style, he should be able to do it with closed eyes.

He knew that blue flames are incredibly unstable to control due to their high temperatures, but he _could_ do better – he _should_ do better – for everybody who is putting high-expectations on him.

Heeseung was frustrated to not archive the results he wished. He was angry, and this was just his own fault.

At the nth failure of the day, Heeseung stormed out his personal training center, not minding to where his legs were carrying him.

Heeseung wished he could take a breath sometimes. He wished he could make friends, like any other teenager of his age. He wished he could not have to ace every single style of bending. He wished he could not learn a lot of languages and royal’s etiquette for ball he doesn’t like to go.

Don’t take him wrong. He was grateful to be born a royal with strong powers and devoted parents. However, it didn’t erase the fact that be the next in line of throne required a lot of work – focus, practice and patience.

Still running, Heeseung knew he must have been emanating heat from his own body during all the path, but he didn’t care. All he wanted was to shout loud and burn the entire place with a single movement.

That was until the moment he laid his eyes on _them_.

The person who made his body cool out and his heart melt in few seconds.

Suddenly, Heeseung’s feet couldn’t move – neither he did want them to move. He was frozen in his spot. His eyes didn’t blink once while he was staring at the person inside the Royal Ice Ring.

He knew he was probably being reckless to be alone at a territory owed by the Ice Goddess – who was unofficially his father’s best rival among the Gods and Goddess.

Heeseung listened stories about her – not from his father, but from his mother. The Ice Goddess and the Fire God were the powerful beings of their generation and were respected by everybody. His mother had met the Ice Goddess before her wedding and she told her son about the woman’s shine aura and her majestic appearance.

The Fire God’s son was also aware that the Ice Goddess gave birth to a boy long time ago – he remembered his father telling Heeseung to stay away from her and her son, because their families were supposed to be rivals. Heeseung didn’t let his father’s words worry him, since he wasn’t allowed to leave the palace alone neither nobody from with ice powers could step inside his house.

Well, that was until he escaped the palace himself.

There was a serene song playing in the background as the person inside the ring kept skating, letting his body slide over the thin ice floor. The moon was shining in the highest place of the sky and lighted the whole ring, making the performance more breathtaking.

It was _beautiful_ to watch. Heeseung had never seen something like this.

The person span in circles, one hand was grabbed on his rollerblades while the other one was pointed toward the sky. Then, the person returned running over the ice, almost like they were taking impulse to jump.

And Heeseung couldn’t believe what happened next. If he had been told, he would absolutely not believe. But there he was, watching the entire scene in front of his eyes.

One, two, three, four spins before landing perfectly on only one foot.

Their arms moved synchronized, following the beat of the song until ending the performance with a pose right in the center of the ring.

Out of his normal mental state, Heeseung wanted to clap his hands before stopping himself from doing any sound that would let his presence be acknowledged. Nobody should know he was there, because he should _not_ be there at first place.

So, he hid himself behind a large white pillar as the person stepped out of the ring, allowing Heeseung to take a better look on the gracious being who danced over the ice.

He didn’t catch a name, but he would never forget the face of the most beautiful person he has seen in his life.

(However, Heeseung totally missed the way the person’s body relaxed due to the abrupted increase of temperature).

The second time Heeseung sneaked out of his room was because of his curiosity. Unlike the first time, his legs _did_ know to where they were taking him this time.

Heeseung made sure to live his day as any other day of his life. He went to his private lessons, read the book his language teacher recommended, studied more about blue flames – what led him to handle them better with a bit of endurance –, reviewed royal etiquette, before joining his parents for dinner and excusing himself to train more.

Everyone who worked or lived in the palace wouldn’t suspect a thing about his small escape since Heeseung did his best job in hiding his anxiety and looking his regular self, but, internally, he felt like he was preparing himself to die.

_“Why getting out the first time was so easy?”_

The same question kept repeating on his mind. The answer Heeseung figured out for his thoughts because: 1) he was stressed and done that time; 2) he didn’t know where he was going to; 3) he didn’t think he would meet _that_ person.

Although, Heeseung wasn’t either stressed or done this time – instead, he felt just anxious –, he did know _where_ he was going to and _who_ he was expecting to meet again.

The Fire God’s son shook his head at the thought of meeting the same person again. He didn’t meet _meet_ them, it was more like staring at safe distance – and, for Heeseung, it should be enough.

Pacing inside his own room, he experienced an inner debate before scratching all the plausive reasons he should stay in the palace and just jumping out the window.

Heeseung kept asking himself if his clothes were neutral enough – well, ‘neutral’ in Ice Lands means white, while ‘neutral’ in Fire Kingdom means black –, if his pace was loose enough, if his face was covered enough. He couldn’t let anyone recognize him during his path toward the Royal Ice Ring. Luckily, he didn’t encounter many people on the road.

In no time, Heeseung found himself outside the ring again, in a safe distance to not have his body heat or presence aware by other people.

With other people, he meant _that_ person, of course. Who else it would be?

Proving himself that his theory was right, Heeseung tried to calm down his anxiety as he found a place to stay outside the crystal glass barrier that circled the ring. He controlled his breath and cooled his body temperature the most he could.

Inside the ice ring, the person started to stretch his limbs and do warm-up exercises.

The thing is: Heeseung knew almost nothing about ice skating, but he did feel himself pulled like a magnet to the person and their dance.

This time, the person – a boy around his age, Heeseung supposed – was wearing an indigo silk blouse that displayed his collar bones and a pair of white tight pants that fitted him like a second skin since his skin was also white as porcelain. His ice blades were silver, made by iron, and shone bright as the boy skated around to warm up.

Heeseung noticed that the unnamed boy’s cheeks became rosy – due to his effort in keeping his speed high enough to do one of those four-turn-jumps Heeseung didn’t know how to tag –, while his red bangs were styled down, almost covering his eyes.

If Heeseung still had a hint of doubt, now he was certain that the boy he was watching afar was – and will be – the prettiest being he laid his eyes on.

Again, the son of the Fire God didn’t move an inch since he had found a good hiding place to spy at the ring. He couldn’t move, he wouldn’t dare to move. Not when the most beautiful spectacle was happening ahead of his eyes.

Eventually, he got lost in time. The sun was close to rise in the sky, and Heeseung knew he should just go back home before his mother could knock on his bedroom’s door and discover his son sneaked out.

So, he ran his path back without looking behind. He knew if he took a last look on the boy swaying gracefully over the ice, he would have no choice that wasn’t stay and appreciate a little more.

Inside his bedroom, Heeseung went to sleep with a mentally promise he would not do this _ever_ again.

What a lie.

Heeseung couldn’t prevent himself from going back to the ice ring night after night. He admits he is so addicted to watch the elegant and beautiful angel dancing on ice.

So, the third time came. And the fourth, fifth, sixth too.

With these ‘night adventures’, nearly a month has passed.

During the day, Heeseung sticks with his regular routine: classes, lessons, homework, lunches, dinners, practices. However, when he excuses himself after dinning with his parents, he just waits until they get to their chamber before sneaking out though the window of his bedroom or his training room.

Tonight, it’s the nth time Heeseung is coming back to the Royal Ice Ring. He should be used to the experience after too many times he has escaped, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t feel like a traitor, going against his father’s, the Fire God, rules.

The truth is that he can tell his parents about his night adventures, but he won’t because it will imply that he won’t put a finger out of the palace ever again. Heeseung does really wishes he could tell them the truth and talk about the prettiest boy he has seen.

 _One day_ , he thinks.

Everything is going according the usual plan. Heeseung managed to sneak out from the palace without major problems. He didn’t pick up clothes, just grabbed anything he got his hands on – plus his leopard beanie, since the ice ring is pretty cold for his personal temperature standards. He took the emptiest road to the place, avoiding anybody.

Arriving at the ring, Heeseung went to the usual spot he found for watching the performance. It has the best view overall and it is on the darkest corner.

Already set on his favorite place, Heeseung starts looking around. He hears the same classical music playing afar, but his eyes don’t catch any sign of the angel who dances over the ice.

“What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, Heeseung gets all the answers his mind wants. He takes his eyes off ring to look at the person in front of him. The ice skater has his arms crossed over his chest.

“H-hi.”, Heeseung mentally curses himself for stutter, “I-I…”

“You…?”, the boy sounds impatient for a moment, but his voice also tells that he is curious.

“I was just passing by…”

“By the Royal Ice Ring?”, he raises one eyebrow, “Alone? At night?”

“Look, I’m really sorry. I should just-.”

“No, you aren’t.”, he shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

“Excuse me?”, the Fire God’s son is too shocked by the words to elaborate a better phrase.

“I mean, you are not sorry. And I will not take your apology.”

Heeseung blinks one, two, three times, before his frozen brain starting to work again. However, without a warning, the boy in front of him sighs:

“Don't you know who I am?"

"No?”, Heeseung isn’t sure it sounded like an affirmation or a question, “Should I?"

"Oh, so do you stalk people you don't even know the name?", the boy tilts his head to the side – what Heeseung thinks is cute, even if the boy seems angry, "How interesting."

"I'm sorry.”, he replies, head hung low, “I didn't mean to distract you.", he breathes, before choosing the last words, “I just wanted to watch.”

“ _Everybody_ wants to watch, but they don’t come. It shouldn’t be different for you.”

The red haired is totally right, and Heeseung, feared by many and avoided by all Gods’ and Goddess’ son and daughter, is out of words.

Up close, the ice skater gives a stronger untouchable vibe than the times Heeseung watched him from afar. It feels almost like he is made by ice itself. However, the son of Fire God enjoys looking at the prettiest being. His presence made Heeseung shiver at first due to the difference of temperature heat their bodies are emanating, but he didn’t care. The boy is just so stunning he can’t move his eyes before recording all his details inside his mind.

Suddenly, the boy touches his right shoulder, to shake him off. Wrong move. Quickly, he retracts his hand off Heeseung’s shoulder, as he inspects it. His eyes widen, and it is the first time since he got out the ring that Heeseung manages to see any facial expression or body language that isn’t pure indifference or anger.

“Are you okay?”, Heeseung tries to asks, feeling unsure what to do.

“I am fine.”, the boy hides his hand behind his back.

“As I said, I’m sorry-.”

“I don’t want your apology, please.”, he waves his other hand in front of Heeseung, telling him to stop talking, "If I see you again around my ice ring again, I will report you to the guards."

“What?”, his eyes shots up, "Isn't the Royal Ice Ring a public space?"

"Yes, it is, but you are not from here, am I wrong?"

Of course, Heeseung isn’t from the Ice Land. The people that born and live are different of the people on his lands. He doesn’t have pale skin. He doesn’t wear pastel, white and bright clothes – he likes his black, red and leather ones, thank you. He doesn’t know how to manipulate ice – he knows how to melt it, instead. He doesn’t ice skate and, probably, he will never do it.

The red haired said he can’t come back and watch him practice. What Heeseung could do to change his mind? Nothing, because he knows he is risking himself disrespecting his father’s rules, but it doesn’t matter anymore. He just wants to watch ice skating, what is wrong with that?

Lost in thought, Heeseung almost misses the boy taking off the iron glades from his feet. The ice skater has his things packed up when Heeseung’s brain starts working again.

“You will be allowed to come back here when you find out my real name."

He looks behind his shoulder, not really glancing at Heeseung’s direction, before just starting to walk out the ring, but it is the push fire bender needs to not give up.

Heeseung is definitely going to know his name, it is now his number one priority.


	2. Everyone’s busy looking for me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> Thank you soooo much for the kudos and comments – even if I’m lazy to reply them. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Lee Heeseung has only one job: find out the mysterious-icy-stunning boy’s name. However, it has been proving to be a hard task to achieve.

A couple of days has passed since the first time Heeseung had a face-to-face meeting with the person he was watching for weeks. Their first meeting, although, was a totally disaster – and it was all his fault.

At first, Heeseung didn’t mean to keep coming back to watch the beautiful unnamed person just swaying over the ice. Little he knew it isn’t just _skating on ice_ , it is much more. There is musicality, passion, a lot of technique. It’s fascinating to watch. The performances made Heeseung feel satisfied and want to learn more about it.

If he could, the son of Fire God would never _ever_ have the so embarrassing first meeting they had. Heeseung wishes he could go back in time and live the moment again. Not that he wouldn’t struggle with his words, because he totally would. However, going back in time also means he could have more time staring at the icy angel – what he counts as a win.

The thing is that Heeseung has been running out of options to complete his task in find out the real name of the pretty skater. He wants to discover the name not only because he hopes he could call the boy by his name on his thoughts, but also because he wants to come back to the ice ring and appreciate the grace of skating once more.

His routine changed a bit since the last day he has returned home after the said meeting. Heeseung is feeling anxious all the time because he could do nothing to speed up their next meeting. Of course, he doesn’t let it to be showed.

Without these ‘night adventures’, Heeseung sticks with his regular routine: classes, lessons, homework, lunches, dinners, practices. Maybe he got scolded by his teacher and his trainer two times each one because he was dreaming awake – what he took well, because, duh, he was indeed dreaming awake –, but nothing changed deeply.

However, he didn’t excuse himself after dinning with his parents, neither waits until they get to their chamber before sneaking out though the window of his bedroom or his training room.

Because Heeseung knows it has no use to going out when the person he wants to see doesn’t want him there. What does he have to do if not to watch he boy ice-skating?

Well, yes, there are a lot of things he could do outside: meet other people, get new books, buy accessories for his practices, visit some beautiful place to see the sun setting. However, nothing from this list would make Heeseung truthfully happy and satisfied.

He just wants to watch ice skating – or better: the beautiful, stunning and talented person who skates on ice –, and, to become completely happy again, he does need the name.

First, Heeseung thought of asking someone about the boy. He is tall, pretty, has a beautiful porcelain skin and skates better than anyone else – not that Heeseung understands too much about ice skating, but he is sure the boy must be one of the best among the skaters due to his technique, musicality and passion for what he does. It shouldn’t be hard to know the one with these exactly virtues.

Although, this idea was thrown away fast by Heeseung. There is no way he could ask someone about this boy without mentioning he sneaked out a lot of times to watch ice skating in Ice Land. It would establish a great chaos on the palace, what would lead his parents to be disappointed with him – mostly, his father – for break the rules.

Second, Heeseung thought of coming back to the Royal Ice Ring starts to look for some clues. He read a lot of detective books where the main character just had to go back to the crime scene and collect more samples or evidences the police, or other people working on the case, missed, and, of course, they would find something that was right in front of their eyes.

He knows this situation isn’t like the detective novels, but it can work.

Wrong. It _could_ work if the boy didn’t threaten Heeseung that he would call-out the guards right after finding out the stranger who doesn’t know his name was any near _his_ ice ring again.

After all, Heeseung is a proud and smart guy. He won’t come back without being allowed to – what means he does need the name first.

Luckily, the last of his options is the safest: doing research. Heeseung thinks he is good at doing researches and learning alone – he has been doing it all his life. Having enough experience, the Fire God’s son knows the process of search demands patience and perseverance to not give up.

Normally, Heeseung considers himself a patience, calm and cautious person. On the other hand, he is in hurry to know the name.

In the following days and nights, Heeseung kept his focus on the books and papers he found in the palace about the Ice Land and its habitants. They were old books which were hidden in the attic of the library – he knew that his father wouldn’t leave this kind of books exposed by the daylight.

Skipping some of his trainings, Heeseung glued his eyes on the books, reading stories and myths about the people and their powers. Mostly of them, however, didn’t have any picture, just simple and colorful sketches that demonstrate some types of ice bends. It was interesting to learn, even if he wouldn’t be able to use any of those tactics.

_“Any knowledge is, somehow, knowledge, which is also a kind of power.”_ , he used to think.

The last pages of a small book catch his attention: the writer explained about the connection between the people and the dance on ice. Heeseung found it endearing, as he wrote on a brand-new paper the names of some steps which he had seen the boy doing on ice with a short description and a small drawing attached. But the chapter about ice skating ended too soon for his likes.

He wished he could take a deeply look on these books. As soon as he found out the name, he would come back and read the same pages again.

The sun was almost rising when Heeseung grabbed the last book he took from the library’s attic. It was the weightiest among them all. He has been sleeping less and less during the last days. He should probably sleep and take a look on it later, but he couldn’t prevent his fingers from slip through the pages.

The book had pictures, Heeseung noticed. A lot of them. They were old and scratched, low quality, but it didn’t interfere on what were written at the bottom of the page.

_Ice Goddess_.

The stories Heeseung had listened about her from his mother didn’t do her justice. The Ice Goddess did have the shine aura and her majestic appearance he had been told. But she was more than beautiful. She looked powerful, had kind smile and impeccable clothes. The flame in her eyes stole his attention – it was same flame his father had: confidence and trust. Ice Goddess was completely _stunning_.

Heeseung couldn’t waste more time staring at the pictures, so he moved through the pages fast, searching for something worthful of his attention. Since he stayed up reading at the night, his eyes couldn’t even focus on the words written anymore, then he concentrated his effort on the photos.

Passing the pages, there was a family tree of the royal family. Quickly, his eyes moved on the said page, looking for the Ice Goddess – the only one he was able to recognized. She looked younger on the picture, with her reddish-brown hair – unlike the blond-ash hair he saw on the other photos. Her porcelain skin was there too, same going to the impeccable set of clothes. However, on her feet, there were iron blades: iron blades for ice-skating.

Suddenly, something in his brain clicked, and he collected his thoughts. Heeseung considered himself clever – more like, book-smart –, but he had never been so dumb to not think about this possibility before.

_“He is the Ice Goddess’ son!”_

His discovery helped Heeseung to become anxious and hopeful during all the day long.

Heeseung made sure to live his day as any other day of his life, what meant classes, lessons, homework, lunches, dinners, practices – and a bit of daydreaming too.

Everyone who worked or lived in the palace wouldn’t suspect a thing about the escape he has been planning since Heeseung did his best job in hiding his anxiety – it was harder than the other times – and being his regular self, but, internally, he felt like he was preparing himself to die _again_.

Hours have passed, and, for someone who didn’t get out the palace for a couple of days, Heeseung isn’t doing great in waiting until the end of the day.

Tonight, it’s the nth time Heeseung is coming back to the Royal Ice Ring. However, he still not used to the experience after too many times he has escaped, because this time is different: he is going to a foreign place where someone is totally aware of his presence.

Not _someone_ , but the Ice Goddess’ son.

The one and only who made Heeseung curious enough to spend days and nights searching for his name.

_Park Sunghoon_.

After all the work, the Fire God’s son is so proud he can say the name out loud – which, due to the situation, he won’t – and put a name to a face. A beautiful name to the prettiest face he has seen.

Hiding the truth from his parents about his night adventures, he still lives an inner debate about tell them or not, but decided to go against it again, afraid that it could be an excuse to not be able to get out of the palace. Heeseung does really wishes he could tell them the truth and talk about the prettiest boy he has seen.

Everything is going according the usual plan. Heeseung managed to sneak out from the palace without major problems when his parents get to their chamber, jumping out the window of his training room. He didn’t pick up clothes, just went with his workout clothes – plus a black hoodie, since the ice ring is pretty cold for his personal temperature standards.

Adrenaline made him run faster than any other day until the entry of the Royal Ice Ring. He has always been pretty skilled at running, but not like _that_. Heeseung was also being reckless as he didn’t take the emptiest road to the place or avoid people on the way. He just wanted to arrive quickly as possible.

Arriving early, Heeseung notices there is no one on the ice or around the ring besides himself. Then, the son of Fire God goes to his regular spot he used for watching the performances.

Already set on his favorite place, Heeseung decides to close his eyes a bit while he waits for the ice skater.

His ears catch some classical music playing afar, but he is deeply sleeping with his cheek propped by the back of his hand. He could swear he just closed his eyes a for a minute or two.

“I’m calling the guards!”

Suddenly, Heeseung is wide awake after hearing the voice. He stands up from the bench, blinking and adjusting his eyes to the clarity.

The moon is shining in the highest place of the sky and lights the person in front of him. It is such a pleasure to wake up from a nap and get to see the ice skater up-close again.

“There is no need.”, he waves a hand in front of his body, trying to prevent the boy from calling the guards, “I got your name.”

“Then, _speak_.”, the icy boy crosses his arms over chest.

Heeseung takes a deep breath.

"You are the Ice Goddess' son.", he says, without falter, " _Park Sunghoon_."

"Finally.”, Sunghoon rolls his eyes, “It took a while. I have almost missed you. _Almost_.”

"Sorry, I should introduce myself too.”, Heeseung scratches the back of his neck, ready to take a bow, “My name is-"

"Lee Heeseung, the son of Fire God.”, Sunghoon cuts him off, “ _Yes_ , I know who you are."

"What?", his eyes shot open, “Do you…know me?”, he gesticulates between Sunghoon and himself, making sure he heard it right.

“Yes.”, the ice skater nods, keeping his blank face on, “You are a _legend_ among teenagers and kids.”

“Should I be worried?”, he asks, having no idea what other people talk about him, “Or scared?”, Heeseung hopes he didn’t sound too scared about the fact people talk about him.

“Not really.”

Then, Sunghoon chuckles, and it is the loveliest, almost melodic, sound Heeseung has heard in his life.

“Since when did you know?"

"Since the beginning.”, the Ice Goddess’ son replies, walking to where his own ice-skating stuff is placed over a bench, “The first time you hid behind that white pillar."

Sunghoon points to the place, and Heeseung mentally slaps himself for being stupid and thinking the boy wouldn’t notice his presence.

"And how did you find out I was here?"

"Every single time you came the ice started to melt and I started to sweat.”, Sunghoon explains, sitting on the bench, “And I never, _ever_ , sweat.", he starts to remove his shoes, casually, "At first, I tried to keep the room temperature stable, but it became hard when I had also to practice my routine."

"I am sorry again!”, Heeseung breathes out, “To disturb you, I mean.”, he continues, gaze fixed on the ground, afraid to look at Sunghoon, “And to watch you without your consent."

The Fire God’s son is ashamed of his attitude. He didn’t think his presence could affect the performance and his body heat could melt the ice miles away. Firstly, he should never have come to Royal Ice Ring, neither should he have stayed too.

The response is taking too long, and Heeseung is afraid Sunghoon would call the guards because he made him angry.

"I will accept your apology now."

Raising his glance from the ground, Heeseung sees Sunghoon giving him a smile for the first time. It is a simple smile, but looks so genuine and bright. Heeseung doesn’t notice he has been holding his breath until his lungs remember he does need more air. Then, he sighs, letting his shoulders fall, as his heart starts to beat rhythmically.

Okay, maybe his heart missed a beat or two because Park Sunghoon, the ice prince himself, gave Heeseung, an awkward, dumb boy who doesn’t know how to deal with his own body heat, the most beautiful, cute, shine smile – even if it lasted three seconds.

“I need to practice.”, Sunghoon says after finishing tying the shoelaces of his ice skates, “Feel free to stay, if you want to.”

And Heeseung, more than grateful, accepts the propose.

(This time he is doing his best to control his body heat and not melt the ice. Even if that means he has to shiver from cold).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you all are thinking about the story! 
> 
> Sorry for any mistake.


	3. I don’t care what you think because I’m cool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really sorry for the delay! Uni is killing me and I’m not working from home anymore, so I don’t have enough time to write.  
> I hope you like this chapter (it’s Sunghoon’s POV!).

Park Sunghoon is the son of Ice Goddess. He is a prodigy known by his refined abilities in bending ice and his impressive looks.

Most of people are shy to approach him since his icy posture make them thinking bad about his personality. They use to call him arrogant.

People talk, and he just lets them talk.

Everybody compares him to his mother. They say he will grow old beautifully, strong and cold as his mother. Sunghoon doesn’t take this as offense, because his mother is the best being has met and it would be an honor to be a successful chief and to rule an amazing land.

Sunghoon promised himself he would prove people they were wrong about him.

At school, kids are either too shy or too energetic. However, Sunghoon found the perfect balance between the two extremities, what led both his colleagues and teachers to like him.

First, he made sure to talk and be comfortable around any of his classmates, not minding where they came from or what kind of powers they and their parents had. His mother taught him to be kind and honorable with anyone he met, treating them equally.

Second, Sunghoon balanced both ‘duty’ and ‘pastime’ effortless. Study always came first, but he never had to abdicate his free-time playing with friends. Acing all the tests he had taken was just a consequence of his hard work. Having friends to play with him was also a result of good relationships he built through time.

Third – and probably his favorite part –, he made friends. Like, _real_ friends.

Some people started to approach him after finding out his abilities in bending ice, his high scores or even his good looks – Sunghoon didn’t want to believe someone could just pretend to be by his side just because of interest and power.

After all, the Ice Goddess’ son was warm enough to let people be next to him, but cold enough to make them go away when it was necessary.

So, Park Sunghoon, the son of Ice Goddess, admired by his classmates and loved by his people, is the same Park Sunghoon who feels pressured to be perfect all the time and is afraid to disappoint the trust everybody puts in him to be successful as his mother.

Like any other day, Sunghoon’s friends agreed to meet at his family’s palace. Sunoo, the son of Blossom Goddess, always complains that they should pick other place once Sunghoon doesn’t own any flower inside his house due to its extreme room temperature.

Although, whenever someone suggests they should move to Sunoo’s palace, the boy just screams and says he would _never_ let Sunghoon, the ice prince himself, get any close to his precious flowers. The Ice Goddess’ son just laughs because he knows he isn’t that good with plants or animals.

The thing is that Jay, the son of Metal God, and Jake, the son of Thunder God, want to use the polished plain floor of Sunghoon’s house to race against each other. He rolls his eyes because, _duh_ , of course, they can’t beat him at running over the ice, but he lets them win the childish competition from time to time. They can be teenagers, but they still want to have fun together.

On other hand, there is Niki, the son of Wind God, who just sticks with any decision Sunoo takes. Sunghoon thinks his friend is being too whipped, but what could he say? He has no choice but to stan the cutest couple he knew.

At the said moment, Sunghoon and Jay are waiting for his friends inside Sunghoon’s bedroom. The two boys have known each other since they were only children. During kindergarten days, Jay was the energetic and impulsive one in the duo, while Sunghoon was the clever and careful one. It didn’t change through the time, and the ice boy thinks they balance each other really well, what helped their friendship to achieve _this_ point.

(The fact Jay could make ice skate blades for him anytime has _nothing_ to do with their friendship).

"I need you to make some ice skate blades."

Suddenly, Sunghoon decides to talk – mostly, because it’s hard to be with Jay alone these times when their squad just seems to be glued by the hips.

"Why do you need more of them?”, Jay asks, his eyes don’t leave the book he has been reading since he arrived at the bedroom, “I made you a pair like, three weeks ago?"

"Yes, you did.”, Sunghoon nods, even if Jay isn’t watching him, “They are great, thanks.", he starts to pace inside the room barefoot, not minding the frozen floor – he thinks it feels perfect this way, "However, I need a different kind of blades."

"Elaborate.", Jay waves one hand in the air while the other one is busy turning the page of the book.

"My blades were made to support a lot of impact on landing jumps and to sly easily.", Sunghoon explains, remembering how amazing the new ice skates, which his best friend managed to make especially for him, felt on ice and how they help him improving his performance, "These new blades need to support high-temperatures. Something like, what do you say?”, the skater scratches his chin, “Coefficient?"

"Superficial coefficient of expansion.", the son of Metal God interrupts his personal argument, answering his questions promptly. 

"Yes, this one.”, Sunghoon rolls his eyes at Jay’s attempt to show himself off – even when Sunghoon knows how much of ‘science-smart’ his best friend is, “You are smart, you know what I meant."

"I understand, but why they must support high-temperature heat?", Jay asks back, his eyes glued to the book.

"Well…”, he sighs, hoping that his voice sounds uninterested enough, “They are not for me."

"What?”, now the Ice Goddess’ son gets the entire attention from the older boy on himself, “Sunghoon? What do you mean?"

There is the reaction Sunghoon has been waiting for. He is aware of his best friend’s curious nature, same goes to his protective side towards him.

Normally, Jay is an amusing friend who jokes and fools around. Sometimes, Jay is a science lover who makes sure to demystify a ton of chemical facts. Rarely, Jay gets rid of his carefree posture and uses his serious tone to talk – especially with Sunghoon.

"I, kind of, met someone?", Sunghoon shrugs, nonchalant.

"Who?", Jay has his eyebrows frowned now, waiting apprehensive for an answer. 

There is no turning back, so the ice bender sighs and answers, still hoping his voice sounds uninterested. Sunghoon knows, when his best friend hears the name, he will make a fuss about the whole situation, then he tries to stay collected as possible.

"Lee Heeseung.”

"The son of Fire God?!", the son of Metal God doesn’t wait a second before asking back.

"The one and only."

Standing in the middle of the room, Sunghoon watches as Jay’s facial expressions change from blank to surprise to thoughtful to understanding to dumbstruck before going back to blank and restarting the sequence.

After the comical facial expressions, Jay blinks three times, and Sunghoon knows his best friend’s mind comes to a realization when the other boy closes his book.

"Wow. Like, _wow_.”, Jay whistles, eyes roaming by the room before they stop in Sunghoon’s figure, “When? How? _Why_?"

Living an inner debate in his mind if he should spill what happened to Jay or just keep the information to himself, Sunghoon doesn’t notice when the door of the room is opened by someone.

"Hi!”, Sunoo says, brightly as always, sitting beside Jay to avoid to be touched by Sunghoon’s freezing skin, “What did I miss?"

"Sunghoonhasaboyfriend.", Jay tells him fast, stumbling on his own words.

"What?”, the Ice Goddess’ son eyes wide, “Are you crazy?"

Marching towards his friend, Sunghoon feels ready to hit Jay in the head – he can’t believe that the brain of his just works for science. However, his arm is grabbed suddenly, ruining his plans.

Sunoo, being a fast thinker and a gossip lover, catches up on what Jay told him a few seconds ago. Without a warning, the son of Blossom Goddess tangles his and Sunghoon’s arms together and leans on his space. He doesn’t seem to mind the cold skin of Sunghoon anymore because his eyes are shining and he has an excited look on his face.

"Sunghoon, you have a boyfriend!”, Sunoo’s scream makes Sunghoon jump, “Please, tell me more! Since the beginning."

At this point of friendship, Sunghoon is practically immune to Sunoo’s legendary eyelashes baiting. When they met, no one from his squad was aware of Sunoo’s over-cuteness gestures. Of course, the son of Blossom Goddess didn’t waste time and used his charms to his own advantage. However, that era stays in the past, and now Sunghoon, Jay and Jake know how to deal with Sunoo’s charms.

It still works with Niki because, _duh_ , they are dating – and Niki is whipped.

Having an extra weight on his right arm, the ice skater is only able to glare at the son of Metal God, who is repeating the entire cycle of facial expressions all over again. Then, Sunghoon sighs because he knows there is no way he is escaping from both Sunoo’s grip on his arm and Jay’s protective behavior today.

" _Okay_ , let's just wait for the others.”, he rubs his eyes with his hand, trying to keep his composure, “I don't want to repeat more than once."

“Oh, Niki won’t come today.”, Sunoo tugs on the sleeve of Sunghoon’s shirt.

“Why not?”, Sunghoon frowns because it’s a strange scenario to see Sunoo being apart from Niki.

“Something about K teaching him and Taki a new bending.”

Sunoo gesticulates in the air, like it isn’t a big deal that his boyfriend is spending the day away from him. In the back of his mind, Sunghoon knows his younger friend misses Niki but he also knows Sunoo wants to give his boyfriend enough space to hang out with his other friends and do his hobbies without him. The son of Ice Goddess thinks they have a such sweet and healthy relationship.

He is pulled away from his thoughts by Jay’s yell.

“What?!”, Jay gags, “K is teaching _them_ and he didn’t invite _me_?”, he sounds offended.

“What did you expect?”, Sunghoon raises one eyebrow at his best friend, “You would learn nothing because your powers don’t match.”

Jay opens and closes his mouth, unsure how he is going to reply Sunghoon. Meanwhile, Sunoo finds the whole situation endearing. Admitting his defeat, Jay just throws his hands up in the air.

“You have a point, but _still_.”

“We can talk about your crush on K later.”, Sunoo waves at Jay – who is shocked –, before turning back to Sunghoon, “Now, we have better things to do.”

“ _Wait_ -.”

“Let’s just wait for Jake, then.”

Sunoo nods at Sunghoon’s last request, staying quiet as he leans on the older boy’s cold shoulder and plays his own bracelet. He is wearing a beautiful fuchsia and white Sinningia Speciosa at the center of the bracelet, which is followed by the thin stripes of the plant’s stalk.

The son of Ice Goddess thinks that the flower is a special accessory and it fits his friend’s personality so well. He tries to keep his hands to himself and doesn’t touch the Gloxinia, too scared he would freeze it with his powers.

"What about me?"

Nobody seems to notice when Jake steps into the room. However, the Thunder God’s son just sits on the chair bedsides Jay and waits for an answer. As always, Jake doesn’t mind the chilly room temperature as he places his legs over the table, feeling relaxed like he is inside his own bedroom.

“We were waiting for you.”, Sunoo says, happily.

“What did I miss?”, Jake asks, curiously eyeing his friends.

“I said _wait_.”, Jay repeats, earning glances from his friends, “I don’t have a crush on K.”

“ _Yes_ , you have.”

After the son of Metal God spilled the false information of Sunghoon’s boyfriend, the son of Ice Goddess can say the time for his revenge came really quickly and unexpected, but he won’t let his chance slip through his fingers that easy. He just wants to enjoy the moment before his nonexistent ‘boyfriend’ returns to the top discussion topics among his friends.

“No, I don’t.”

“It’s fine to admit.”, Jake pats Jay’s shoulder, “We are going to support you anyway.”

“I don’t have a crush on him, okay?”, the son of Metal God gets rid of Jake’s hand, crossing his arms over the chest.

“But you think he is handsome.”, Sunghoon suggests.

“ _Everybody_ thinks K is handsome.”, Jay rolls his eyes, “It’s a universal fact.”

“Okay, we understand your point.”, Jake admits, “But you think he is cool and smart.”

“And you like to see his powers.”, Sunoo points out, smirking.

“Why wouldn’t I like to see him training?”, Jay frowns at his friend’s statement, “We all watched together.”

“Did you feel something when you see him?”, the son of Ice Goddess asks, but when Sunghoon notices the blank stare of Jay’s, he knows he has to elaborate, “Like your heart beating fast or your cheeks becoming warm?”

“I don’t know?”, Jay scratches the back of his neck, “Maybe.”

“Do you want to be beside him?”, the son of Blossom Goddess questions, eyes fixed on Jay’s figure, “Do you like when you spend time together; do you feel happy every time he notices something new about you?”

“Yes?”

“Mate, there is no heterosexual explanation for this.”

The silences that followed Jake’s comment is quickly broken by Sunghoon’s fit of giggles. With their arms still locked together, Sunoo shakes his head, pitying Jay’s state as they watch the son of Metal God paralyzed.

Recovering from his nonstop laugh, Sunghoon extends his free arm at Jake and they bump their fists.

“So, Sunghoon.”, Sunoo tugs on the sleeve of his shirt again, “Ready to tell us about your boyfriend now?”

“What?”, the exchange of topics catches Jake by surprise, “ _Boyfriend_? Sunghoon has a boyfriend?”, Sunoo nods at Jake’s questions, “Since when?”

“He is not my boyfriend.”, Sunghoon groans, “It was just a misunderstanding.”

“Sunghoon is lying~.”, Jay singsongs, awaking from his inner panicking debate to provoke his friend.

“No, I’m _not_.”, he throws a cold glance at the older boy, “And this is _low_.”

“Well, even if Sunghoon isn’t really dating, there must have someone who caught his eye.”, Jake scratches his chin, thinking.

“Exactly!”, Sunoo jumps and places his chin on Sunghoon’s shoulder, “Who is he?”

The delicate point finger of Sunoo pokes Sunghoon in the rib, wanting to have his totally attention to himself. On the other hand, the icy boy knows he can’t escape from the question since the name has already been told to Jay early by himself.

It’s just a matter of time until all his friends – and the entire land – be knowable of his kind of friendship with the heir of Fire Kingdom – he is still unsure how to tag their relationship yet. So, Sunghoon decides to spill the beans and clear the misunderstanding.

“It’s Lee Heeseung.”

“The son of Fire God?”, Jakes frowns.

“ _The one and only_.”, Jay mimics Sunghoon’s previous line, earning a glare from the owner of the room.

Sunoo and Jake share a look before both of them bust out laughing. However, when they notice either Jay or Sunghoon aren’t laughing, they stop, coming to a realization it wasn’t a joke.

“I can’t believe.”, Sunoo gasps, dramatically.

“Me neither.”, the son of Thunder God’s eyes wide, “Don’t his father and your mother hate each?”

“They don’t _hate_ each other.”, Sunghoon explains, “They just don’t get along.”, he shrugs.

“Oh my, is this some ‘Romeo and Juliet’ love story?”, the son of Blossom Goddess teases Sunghoon, smirking.

“No.”, the ice skater sends his friend a cold stare, “Because there is no ‘love’ in this one.”

“If you are saying…”, Sunoo shrugs, but he doesn’t believe in Sunghoon’s words.

“Stop messing with us and just tell the entire story.”

With arms crossed over his chest, Jay rolls his eyes, longing to find out how his friend and the infamous Lee Heeseung met.

So, Sunghoon breathes three times before start from the beginning. He knows his friends are curious and they won’t let him miss any small part of the narrative. Later, of course, they will ask for details.

“So, did you meet at the ice ring?”, after asking, Jake chuckles, “That’s sounds pretty romantic.”

“Yes!”, Sunoo says, turning his head to speak with Sunghoon, “And he just respected your deal and researched your name.”, the ‘flower boy’ shoves his friends gentle, “Maybe you were _too_ cold to him.”

“I wasn’t cold.”, Sunghoon didn’t mean to sound offended but he knows he did.

“You were and you know it.”, Jay shakes his head at his best friend’s stubbornness.

“Okay, I was cold.”, the son of Ice Goddess admits his defeat because he can’t lie to Jay, “But I had to test him somehow.”

“And?”, Jake looks at him expectantly.

“He is fine, I guess?”, Sunghoon takes a look on his friends while they stare blankly at him, “Okay.”, he bits his bottom lip, “Like, he is _really_ nice. And now I understand he just wanted to watch.”

“Watch _you_ skating on ice.”, Jake points out, “That also sounds pretty romantic.”

“We can’t forget the fact he put himself at risk coming back to see you night after night even when his palace is far away from the Royal Ice Ring.”, the son of Blossom Goddess says, smiling.

“And your parents hate each other.”, the son of Metal God repeats the same argument Jake used, earning a nod from the other boy.

“Sunghoon, you can’t argue because you are definitely living a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story.”

Hearing Sunoo’s last comment, Sunghoon stands up from his bed, where the four of them sat to listen the story about the meeting. His friends have their eyes on him while he crosses the room, stomping. Why can’t they act like normal friends when he needs them to do?

However, their judgment should not affect Sunghoon this much. He never cared for what people said about him before. So, why would he start caring now?

Crossing his arms over chest, the son of Ice Goddess avoids looking directly at his friends.

“You are idiots.”

“You love us.”, Sunoo giggles at his friend’s change of behavior.

“I don’t.”

“Sorry, but you are sticking with us.”, the son of Thunder God jokes high-fiving Sunoo in the sequence, “So, when can we meet him?”

“What?”, his head snaps fast to look at them.

“We want to meet him too.”

“Why?”, the ice skater asks slowly, afraid of the answer that he will receive.

“Because he can be _dangerous_.”, Jay says, laying emphasis on the last word.

“He is nothing like the rumors we heard about him.”, Sunghoon tries to reassure his friends.

“Then, just invite him to join us.”, Jake tries again.

“I don’t know if he wants to hang out with us.”, the palace’s owner scratches the back of his neck, biting his lower lip, “We just talked a couple of times…”

“We could always just show up.”, Sunoo suggests, shrugging.

“Please, _don’t_.”, Sunghoon shakes his head, “Just _don’t_. He is kind of shy.”, he sighs, rubbing his eyes, because his friends won’t let it down that easy, “I will ask him first, okay?”

When they seem ready to reply, Sunghoon warns them with a glare.

“And If I see any of you near my ice ring, I will freeze your houses!”

Sunghoon is truthfully doubting his nonexistent skills to pick friends and he really hopes that Heeseung will like his friends more than he likes them himself.

(Who the Ice Goddess’ son is trying to fool? He loves his friends).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO much for giving love to my story. I appreciate your comments and kudos <3.


	4. Background music where I be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> This is a mess, but I really needed something to link the previous chapter and the next chapter, so this happened.  
> Enjoy!

Park Sunghoon knows he is late. But the question is: Is he late for _what_?

He keeps reminding himself he is late to ace his ice-skating routine, and _no_ , it has nothing to do with the boy who would watch as he practices the moves on ice.

A boy who is shy, but also curious; gentle and polite, always respecting Sunghoon’s decisions – even when he didn’t know a thing about him being the Ice Goddess’ son at their first meeting.

A boy who wears large and heavy leather clothes with animal patterns. The clothes are also mostly in dark colors – such a contrast to Sunghoon’s own silk clothes, dyed in pastel or light colors.

A boy who makes Sunghoon feeling both anxious and ready to introduce him to his friends and his family – mostly his mother –; but also afraid of rejection and deception due to their paradoxical powers; ice and fire just don’t match. 

A boy who Sunghoon wants just to stay close even if their proximity makes him _sweaty_ – and well, Sunghoon just forgets he is totally against the act of sweating because he thinks this is disgusting.

Once again, the Ice Goddess’ son curses at Jay and Jake, which it isn’t a surprise, but also at Sunoo this time, for keeping delaying his night meeting. Sunghoon thinks that is unbelievable that he had to kick his friends out the palace and wait for hours until the path was clear, so he could sneak out without having the trio following him.

In a fast pace, his legs lead him toward the majestic ring, his called ‘second home’. It’s mostly decorated in white and blue; so fragile, endearing and relaxing. But it’s also so unbreakable, hypnotical and cold.

Quickly, Sunghoon’s body reacts due to the sudden heat, an electric shiver running through his limbs and sparking up his mood. His head snaps at the second row of bleachers, where an ‘all-in-black’ figure is sitting. They have one leg down on the step while the other one is bend, knee pointing to the sky; his head is being supported by the palm of his right hand as the left one is busy turning the pages of the book on his lap.

Of course, he isn’t the only one who reacted due to the small change of room’s temperature.

Without warning, Lee Heeseung lifts his gaze from his lap and locks his eyes with Sunghoon’s, who realizes he has gotten lost in thoughts and probably has been staring at the visitor for some seconds.

Snapping out of the trance, Sunghoon approaches the bleachers, throwing his stuff over the glassy seats. He made sure to choose the front row because it’s easier to exchange his shoes and enter the ring without major efforts. Well, the place is also relatively close to where Heeseung is sitting still, so they could talk freely and the distance between them seems comfortable for both of their bodies.

“I’m sorry.”, Sunghoon rushes an apologize as he digs into his bag, seeking for his skate shoes, “I’m late.”

“There is no need to be sorry.”, Heeseung assures him calmly, “I arrived early anyway.”

“Really?”, he throws the fire boy a look over his shoulder, “Because I’m sure I’m _late_.”

“If you are late and I’m early, then it is none of our fault, right?”, Heeseung shrugs, eyes focused on Sunghoon, “One minus one equals zero, doesn’t?”

“Okay…”, Sunghoon frowns at the unusual answer before shaking his head, “I will accept your eccentric math rule.”

“I will take this as a compliment.”

Then, Heeseung’s eyes travel back at the book on his lap, like he is in hurry to finish the page he was reading before being interrupted. On the other hand, Sunghoon just chuckles at the answer he received, because he thinks it is a nonsense thought.

“I’m assuring you it wasn’t a compliment.”, Sunghoon resumes the search for his shoes inside the bag.

“But you are smiling, right?”

Without lifting his gaze from the book, Heeseung says calmly, as he assumes the smile in Sunghoon’s voice. However, the Fire God’s son doesn’t know those five words were enough to leave Sunghoon blushing at the question – and Sunghoon is not the one who blushes normally.

Trying to control his red cheeks, the Ice Goddess’ son does his best to cover up his embarrassing moment with another subject.

“So, what are you reading?”, Sunghoon asks, making double sure to use his nonchalant tone.

“Oh, it’s a book about flowers.”

Suddenly, Heeseung closes the book, showing the book’s cover to Sunghoon, who analyzes it. There is a bunch of flowers drawn on the gold rose cover; different species flowers and colors are decorating the book, which looks a kind of old, but also well cared. Sunghoon doesn’t know the name of mostly of these flowers.

“Someone obliges you to read this?”

“No.”, Heeseung shakes his head as if he doesn’t believe what Sunghoon asked him, “I think flowers are such interesting beings.”, he starts to explain, a small smile forming on his lips, “They could be small or big, colorful or monochromate, have sweet or sour smell, eatable or toxic, grow on up on mountains or near the seas.”

“You seem to _really_ like flowers.”

With this new discover, Sunghoon makes a small mental note to remember to mention Heeseung _does_ like flowers to Sunoo. The flower boy would certain be happy to talk nonstop about the flora. If Heeseung is the half of a nerd he is proving to be, Sunghoon thinks he will enjoy the conversation.

“I really like to read any kind of book.”, Heeseung shrugs, “Besides, any knowledge is, somehow, knowledge, which is also a kind of power.”

Suddenly, Sunghoon feels dumbstruck because Heeseung just quoted something smart more than once in few minutes since he has arrived at the ice ring.

The whole point is Sunghoon doesn’t feel intimidated by Heeseung when he talks about any subject he studied and researched; it’s the totally opposite. The Ice Goddess’ son thinks the way the Fire God’s son explains anything is simple, passionate and humble; there is no sign of arrange or pride Sunghoon expected before their first properly meeting.

Lost in thought, the ice skater remembers that Heeseung is still waiting for a response, but Sunghoon sees no need to add anything, neither he knows what to say, so he just agrees.

“Good point.”, Sunghoon nods before changing the topic, “What is your favorite kind of book, then?”

“It’s a difficulty question.”, Heeseung tilts his head to the side, thinking, “I would say detective novels, and yours?”

“Poetry.”

After replying promptly, Sunghoon feels really proud of his choice. That is until he hears Heeseung chuckling, what makes Ice Goddess’ son angry as he crosses his arms over chest.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because _of course_ it would be poetry.”, the Fire God’s son says, soothing his laugh, “I already know you have such a great ear to music. You also express yourself in a beautiful way when you dance, like your persona is telling a story. It’s a pleasure to watch.”

Sunghoon thinks he must have been pulled out of his feet, because he senses himself falling so _hard_. He doesn’t even know what to say or how to reply. It isn’t the first – won’t be the last – time someone congratulated his skills, but it feels like the first time. Nobody had talked to him like _this_ – like the way Heeseung does.

Normally, people compliment Sunghoon comparing him to his mother, projecting their expectations on him, but not Heeseung; he would never do this, and Sunghoon knows his ice heart is melting at every single word being said.

“Thank… You. I guess?”, he says quietly, avoiding any eye-contact that would make him blush – _(Ha_! As if he would blush), “I’ll warm up now. Talk to you later.”

Receiving only a nod from Heeseung, he just chooses to hurry up and enter the ring. Sunghoon knows his long stretching routine has to be short tonight if he wants to practice, since he arrived late for a first in a long time.

Despite his obligations, Sunghoon wants to spend more time talking with Heeseung. It’s easy to initiate a conversation and it’s good to be able to talk about anything and everything without be judged or teased. Heeseung just makes Sunghoon feel happy and he doesn’t even ask anything in return.

There is no doubt: Heeseung is nothing like the rumors, and Sunghoon can’t wait to discover the true about the fire boy.

Shaking these thoughts off his mind, Sunghoon stretches his limbs careful, but fast. The temperature heat coming from the Fire God’s son sitting on the bench is helping the ice skater with his stretching season.

Sunghoon has never appreciated the idea of sweating, and having his untouchable skin watered is almost terrifying. However, the tiny drop of sweat rolling down his neck doesn’t feel out of the place right now, and this new sensation sends an electric message to his limbs.

He is ready: It’s time to dance.

The routine he has been training is quite difficulty even for Sunghoon, who was literally born on ice. He knows his technique is not matching the expectation of the choreography. He is good at doing double or triple spins, but he still hesitates when the subject matter is about quadruples – and the routine requires Sunghoon to do two quadruples in a row, before landing in one foot.

Unlucky, that kind of thought fills his mind with doubts, and Sunghoon knows if he is doubting himself, he will fall – what could end up really bad. So, he shifts his attention to the bleachers, catching a sight of Heeseung. Maybe he should take a break and talk to him a little. After all, talking to Heeseung can help Sunghoon to feel ready and revigorated again.

He slides toward the edge of the ring and stops in front of Heeseung’s seat, his cheek being supported by the back of his hand as he waits to be noticed. However, the other boy seems too much invested in the paper on his hand. Sunghoon quickly notices the book about flowers was carefully placed besides him and was replaced by a notebook.

For a couple of minutes, Sunghoon watches as Heeseung scribbles down on the paper nonstop. Getting bored, the son of Ice Goddess rolls his eyes.

“What are you doing?”, Sunghoon asks, hoping to get the attention he deserves.

“Hm?”, Heeseung’s head snaps at the sudden sound of Sunghoon’s voice, “ _Me_?”, he points at himself before shaking his head, “Nothing.”

“’ _Nothing_ ’.”, Sunghoon makes quotations marks with his fingers, “You can’t lie. I saw you writing.”

“I wasn’t writing anything.”, Heeseung denies so fast he almost trips over his words.

“Okay. Care to explain the pencil, hm?”

With a challenger grin, Sunghoon places his hands over hips, waiting for an answer. They stare at each other for seconds until Heeseung just sighs, admitting his defeat. Sunghoon knows he shouldn’t, but he is proud he was the one who made Heeseung change his mind so quickly.

“So, I found an old book in the palace’s library while I was looking for clues about your name.”, the Fire God’s son lets out a breath, “ _Yes_ , I went through a ton of dust because of you. Feel free to laugh.”, Sunghoon does his best to hold his laugh at the comment before Heeseung decides to speak again, “This book is about your land, but there isn’t a lot of information. Then, I thought I should write about what you have been telling me and what I have been seeing.”, he scratches the back of his neck, staring at the ground, “I don’t know… Maybe it was a stupid idea, I should just-.”

“ _No_!”, Sunghoon almost screams, what makes Heeseung look up, “I mean, it sounds fun. I couldn’t have expected any less coming from you…”, he says quietly, biting his lower lip, “Do you need my help?”

“I don’t want to take your time.”, the fire bender frowns at the invitation.

“It’s fine. I’m making many mistakes today, anyway.”, he waves off, before walking out of the ring and taking a seat on the first row, “Can I see what you have already written?”

“Sure.”, Heeseung shrugs, but his voice cracks a little, evidencing he is apprehensive, “But you should keep your expectations low. I’m just a foreign and I wrote and drew what I saw through my eyes. Let me know if something sounds offensive and please correct me.”

“Don’t worry too much. It’s not like I will have the guards to arrest you.”, Sunghoon rolls his eyes dramatically, remembering their first meeting, “Well, maybe I would call them if you wrote I’m ugly.”

It’s hard to equilibrate himself over the polished seat, but Sunghoon does his best to keep the ice blades out of reach of the glassy bleacher. He knows his mother would be angry him if she finds out most prestigious arena of their land was damaged by no other than her own son. Well, the Ice Goddess herself would deal with it pretty cool as always, but her counselor would definitely scold him.

“I would never do that. Don’t you have mirrors at your home?”, Heeseung raises one eyebrow as he takes a look on the ice skater, “Or do you really want to hear from me that you are pretty?”

Hearing the last three words makes Sunghoon gasp since he didn’t expect to receive that kind of answer. The icy boy used to be fine receiving compliments, but they didn’t come from Heeseung. He is used to being called pretty by everybody – and he knows he is pretty. But why does this sound so different when the boy with fire powers it the one telling him?

Once again, Heeseung keeps surprising Sunghoon. It feels like the Fire God’s son just does it to watch Sunghoon’s odd reactions. So, he pouts, turning his head to the side to pretend to be angry at the visitor.

“I’m not going to buy any of your fake compliments.”

“I would never do something like that.”, Heeseung sounds offended, “If anyone talks bad of you, just tell me and _I_ will burn them, understand?”, he asks seriously.

“ _You_?”, Sunghoon can’t help but let out a giggle, “Really? I didn’t know you could hurt a bee.”

“Why would I hurt a bee?”, Heeseung frowns before realization hits him and his eyes widen, “Did it prejudice you?”

“No.”, the ice skater waves off, laughing, “It’s my way to say that you are too kind to hurt anyone.”

“You have a point. But still, nobody can bring you down on my watch.”

“Oh, thank you.”, Sunghoon presses a hand over his heart and wipes the fake tears from his eyes, “If something like this happens, I will take you with me as my moral support while I freeze them.”

“Count on me.”, Heeseung laughs at Ice Goddess’ son antics.

“Are you going to show me now?”

“Yes, take it. Remember: don’t expect a lot.”

However, Sunghoon has already set the bar high, because it’s no one other than the Fire God’s son he is talking about, the one who is good at everything: Lee Heeseung.

Don’t get him wrong. Sunghoon is pretty clever and has been always a fast learner, but there is something about the way Heeseung talks makes him dumbstruck and amazed most of the times. He speaks easily, gently and politely – what Sunghoon appreciates very much. Heeseung could be a genius, but he would never think himself as superior.

How Sunghoon can be so sure of it? He just can sense it. He just knows.

As Sunghoon spread his hand to take the notebook, their fingers barely touch, but there is a shiver running down his spine due to the exchange of heat during the touch. Heeseung seems to feel the shiver too because he retracts his hand quickly.

However, Sunghoon doesn’t worry about it or the drip of sweat coming down his nape. All of his attention is replaced towards the subject of the notebook.

His eyes scroll through the pages, and he notices there are a lot of then filled with scribbles, notes, colors and descriptions.

_“What is that?”_ , Sunghoon thinks while his eyes are clued to the papers.

There is a season of notebook’s pages dedicated to descriptions and drabbles of ice skating, what makes Sunghoon speechless. Apparently, Heeseung is good at everything _including_ drawing. His drawings amazes Sunghoon as he can tell exactly step it is being shown on the graphics.

“You sure spent a lot of time making it.”

“Not too much.”, the Fire God’s son denies, playing with his fingers, “I wish I could research more, but my sources are scarce.”

“You can always ask me.”, Sunghoon closes the sketch book, “Now, get up and follow me. Bring your pencil!”

The ice skater wastes no time returning to the ice, leaving the book at the glassy seat, while Heeseung follows his lead to the edge of the ring.

“Okay, but don’t you have to practice?”

“I’m going to show you step by step of the moves you drew. The descriptions are good, but they are missing the properly names. That still counts as practicing, right?”

In the center of the ice circle, Sunghoon stops and looks behind his shoulder to see if Heeseung has achieved the border of the ring. Then, he starts to explain every single step he can remember, demonstrating them patiently. Starting from the simplest to the hardest, he does turns, spirals, spins and jumps while the boy from Fire Kingdom watches him with careful eyes and pays attention to everything being explained by him.

Sunghoon knows Heeseung musts have been feeling cold due to the ice’s proximity. However, even if the said boy is feeling uncomfortable, he doesn’t say a thing and only cares to watch the stunning scene happening in front of his eyes.

“So, did you get it?”

“Yes. Thank you.”, Heeseung nods, writing, “You are amazing.”

“Stop it.”, Sunghoon folds his arms over chest again, rolling his eyes like he doesn’t appreciate the compliment – plot twist: he _does_ appreciate, “Which one is your favorite?”

“Hm. I don’t know…All of them.”, Heeseung is still focus on his notebook to notice Sunghoon’s blush, “It’s not like I can choose one when you do any move with majesty.”

“No, you have to pick one.”, Sunghoon presses it, trying to ignore his heart beating fast.

“Okay, fine.”, Heeseung closes the sketch book, choosing to not argue, “The quadruple axel is stunning, but it also looks very dangerous, so I’m stuck with triple axel or one-handed biellmann spin. Oh, forward outside spiral is cool too.”

“Good choices. My quad isn’t good yet, what sucks because my routine requires me to do a two of them in a row.”

Groaning, Sunghoon thinks about the step he is struggling at and how much time he still has to practice the axel. It’s a hard task, and he feels pressured to do his best and don’t let anyone down. Suddenly, Heeseung’s voice brings him out of his thoughts:

“You are going to ace your routine. _I_ know it, and _you_ know it too. Just take your time and practice. No pressure. Forget the bad thoughts, like ‘I can’t’, because you _can_ and you _will_ improve in no time. Just imagine yourself doing it.”

Blinking, Sunghoon almost doesn’t believe what his ears heard. On the other hand, Heeseung is looking at him with his determined big eyes, and Sunghoon can tell he just meant what he said. However, the ice bender chooses to just thank him because he doesn’t trust his mind and his tongue to say something better at the moment.

“Thanks for your support… It means a lot.”

“Always.”

Then, Heeseung gives him a smile, which Sunghoon doesn’t resist on reciprocate. Both of them are back to the glassy seats: Heeseung is busy with his papers as Sunghoon takes his shoes off.

“Anyway, can I ask you something?”

“Of course. You didn’t even need to ask.”

“Okay. Hm, I don’t know…”, the Ice Goddess’ son chews on his lower lip, “But maybe would you like to meet up with me friends?”, he waves his hands in front of his body, “It’s fine if you don’t want to!”

“ _Me_?”, Heeseung points at himself, surprised, “Why would you want me to meet your friends?”

“Because we are friends?”, Sunghoon tilts his head to the side, thinking, “Wait, _we_ are friends, right?”

“If you want us to be…”, he whispers, playing with his fingers again, “Your friends aren’t going to like me.”

“ _Yes_ , they will.”, Sunghoon answers promptly, “Oh my, why are you saying this?”, he rubs his eye, unbelieving with what he heard, “My friends are kind of annoying sometimes, but they are also good supporters and fun.”

“I don’t know?”

“Look.”, the icy boy lets out a dramatic breath, “I’m not pressuring you, but it would be really cool if I bring the legendary _Lee Heeseung_ with me and tell them he is some friend of mine and that he is _nothing_ like what people expect him to be.”

“And what they expect?”

“Someone who would kill a bee, but certainly this one isn’t you.”, they both laugh at the joke, “So, what do you say?”

“Fine, I will go.”, Heeseung throws his hands up in surrender, “When are you planning to meet again?”

“Hm. I have to arrange it first, but I will send you the details.”

“What?”, the son of Fire God eyes him suspecting, “How?”

“Trust me. I have my ways.”, Sunghoon winks in what he hopes is a charming way, “I better go now. See you later.”

Grabbing his stuff and running, Sunghoon takes a last look on Heeseung, shouting a “Stay safe!” and receiving a short wave.

(Little does Sunghoon know that Heeseung doesn’t care about his own safety as long he can see the owner of ice powers happy again).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not entirely satisfied with this chapter, so let me know what do you think! 
> 
> PS: If you are a figure skating fan, please, don’t take this seriously. I know quad axel is the main goal of every figure skater (even legendary Yuzuru Hanyu) and doing two quad axel in a row is crazy, but this is fiction, so let me dream.

**Author's Note:**

> Plot twist: Todoroki Shouto is lowkey Heeseung/Sunghoon love child, fight me.
> 
> I will try to update fast – but I’m a lazy soul.  
> Kudos and likes are always appreciated. See you soon!
> 
> Song: Icy - ITZY


End file.
